The San Francisco 49ers appear set to make a change at punter for the 2026 season.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the 49ers are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers punter Corliss Waitman. The move likely signals the end of Thomas Morstead‘s brief stint with San Francisco after one season.
Former Steelers punter Corliss Waitman is signing with the 49ers, sources tell The Insiders.
Waitman’s agent Alexa Stabler confirmed the deal. pic.twitter.com/GyzTlvgW1k
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 14, 2026
San Francisco brought back kicker Eddy Piñeiro on a four-year deal and long snapper Jon Weeks on a one-year contract, and had expressed interest in bringing Morstead back as well. The team now appears to have pivoted from that plan.
The Steelers signed Waitman (6-2, 210) as an undrafted free agent out of South Alabama in 2020. Since entering the NFL, he has appeared with the Steelers and Denver Broncos, and has also spent time on the practice squads or offseason rosters of the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, and Chicago Bears.
During the 2025 season, Waitman appeared in all 17 regular-season games for Pittsburgh. He totaled 62 punts for 2,823 yards, averaging 45.5 yards per punt with a long of 67 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. He also placed 26 punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded three touchbacks.
Over four NFL seasons, Waitman has appeared in 52 games, totaling 230 punts for 10,673 yards and a career average of 46.4 yards per punt. He has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 84 times and recorded 15 touchbacks during his NFL career.